Truss for hernia or rupture



Patented Nov. 4, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TRUSS FOR HERNIA OR RUPTURE James Francis Healy, Chicago, Ill.

Application September 17, 1945, Serial No. 616,704

7 Claims. 1

The present invention relates to a truss for hernia or rupture and contemplates a device which may be hung from a belt and have pressure pad means yieldably mounted so that the wearers body may be bent sidewise without disengaging the pad means from the hernia or rupture.

The device of the present invention is constructed so that pressure of the pad means against the rupture or hernia is a function of the tightness of the belt.

An object of the present invention is to provide a truss for a hernia or rupture having yieldably mounted pressure pad means so that the body may be bentJ sidewise without disengaging the pad means from the rupture.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a truss which is eicient in use and positive in action.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a truss which is economical to manufacture and can be sold at reasonable price.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a truss having a pivoted arm for supporting a pressure pad.

The invention has for an additional object the provision of a truss having a spring arm for supporting a pressure pad.

The invention has for another and further oblject the provision of a truss wherein the pressure of the pad means against a rupture is regulated by the tightness of the belt.

Another and further object of the present invention is to provide a truss having spring action between the belt and pressure pad.

The above, other and further objects of the present invention will be apparent from the following description and accompanying drawing.

An embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing and the views thereof are as follows:

Figure 1 is a front elevational View of the truss showing it applied to a belt;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on the plane of line II-II of yFigure l;

Figure 3 is a view including a vertical sectional view taken in the plane of line III-III of Figure 1 and in addition showing sections of the wearers shirt, trousers, and tro-users belt; and

Figure 4 is a sectional View of the lower end of an arm showing the pad in section.

The drawing will now be explained.

A truss belt A has a plurality of pads I on its inner surface to provide comfort to the wearer. The outer surface of the belt is formed with a circumferential recess Il for a purpose to be later explained.

The truss, indicated generally at B, includes a front plate or leaf I2, a rear or inner plate I3, which plates are secured together at their lower ends as by a rivet or weld. The plates are sprung or set so Ithat the upper ends thereof are separated and resist effort to move them together. Pins I5 and I6 pass through the upper portions of the separated ends of the plates to limit separation of the upper ends. Preferably the pins I5 and I6 are fastened to the outer or front plate l2 so as not to project therefrom when the upper ends of the plates are moved towards each other.

The present invention is herein illustrated as a truss for a double rupture and as illustrated has two arms I1 and I8 the upper ends of which are attached to the inner surface of the rear or inner plate I3, being pivoted respectively on the pins I5 and I6. As will be apparent from an inspection of Fig. 2, the upper ends of the arms Il and I8 can have extended surface engagement, as indicated at I9, against the inner surface of the inner plate I3. The arms carry spoon-like lower end portions 20. A resilient pad 2| is applied to the convex surface of the spoon and the arms or surfaces 20, and the pads, are suitably covered as at 22, by a material which will be satisfactory for the purpose.

The arms Il and I8 are sprung or bent, so that the lower ends thereof will extend away from the lower ends of the plates, Fig. 2 indicating in full lines, the normal position of the parts when not applied to the body of a wearer.

From an inspection of Fig. 2, it will be observed that the side elevational view of the truss appears as a reversed N, with the front or outer plate I 2 constituting the outer leg, the inner plate 'I3 constituting the intermediate leg, and an arm constituting the inner leg, of the N.

The upper end of the outer or front plate I2 is formed with two hooks 23 and 2d to be hooked over the upper margin of the truss belt A.

In Figures 2 and 3, the dot dash line 25 represents the contour of the stomach of a wearer.

The truss is applied as follows:

-The truss B is hooked over the belt A and the belt passed around the waist of the wearer. When applied the truss appears as in full lines of Fig. 2. As the belt is tightened, the upper ends of the plates I 2 and I3 are drawn together, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, which tends to move or rock the lower ends of the arms I 'l and I8 to the right, because of the surface engagement of the upper ends of the arms with the inner plate. With the truss applied to the body of a wearer, and the pads applied against ruptures, tightening of the truss in the manner stated, will increase the pressure of the pads against the ruptures, the tightness of the belt determin ing this pressure. It is to be understood, of course, that the bent or curved arms apply some pressure to the ruptures, when the belt is tightened. Additional pressure is applied to -the rupture as the belt is tightened, the arms acting in the manner described.

It will thus be noted that the truss of the present invention provides spring means between the belt and the pressure pads, for applying pressure to the rupture. The amount of pressure may be determined by the tightness of the belt.

Because of the pivotal swinging mounting of the arms Il and I8, on the inner plate or leaf I3, sidewise movement of the body of the wearer will not disengage the pads from the rupture, as such movement will Cause the arms to pivot on the pins I5 and I6.

The spring formation of the truss of the present invention maintains pressure of the pads against the rupture, as long as the truss is worn. The fact that the pads will remain against the rupture, regardless of sidewise movement of the wearers body, assures full protection for the rup tures.

According to Fig. 3, 26 designates a section of the shirt of the wearer, and 2l designates a section of the wearers trousers.

As is well understood the truss and belt are placed against the wearers body without any clothing between the truss and the body. After the wearer has put on his shirt and trousers, he then applies his trousers belt 28 to hold up his trousers. Because of the circumferential recess l I in the belt A the trousers belt 23 will fit within this recess, thus preventing relative movementV between the truss belt A and the trousers belt 28.

Figure 3 also illustrates the manner in which the pads IIi rest against the wearers body.

It will be observed that the truss of the pres ent invention is one which may be economically manufactured to be sold at a reasonable price. Furthermore the truss of the present invention is effective in use, and positive in action in that the pivotal mounting of the arms makes it possible for the pads to remain in engagement with the rupture regardless of the sidewise movement of the body of the wearer.

It is to be understood that the amount of stress or tension of the plates I2 and I3, and the arms I'I and I8, may be such as to afford the proper pressure against the rupture of the wearer.

29 designates the buckle of the truss belt A.

The invention has been described herein more or less precisely as to details, yet it is to be understood that the inventionis not to be limited thereby, as changes may be made in the arrangement and proportion of parts, and equivalents may be substituted, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. A truss construction comprising separate spring elements arranged in the form of a reversed N in side elevation, the outer and intern mediate legs being connected together at the bottoms and each sprung to separate their upper ends and to resist movement towards each other, the intermediate and inner legs being -pivotally connected together at their upper ends to swing the inner leg in the plane of its length to move by rocking action the lower end of the inner leg away from the bottom of the outer and intermediate legs as the upper ends of the outer and intermediate legs approach each other, and a pad on the lower end of the inner leg for engaging a rupture.

2. A rupture truss comprising a belt, a truss suspended therefrom, said truss comprising leaves V-shaped in side elevation with the upper ends normally sprung apart, an arm pivotally connected at its upper end to the upper end of the inner leaf and with its lower end below the bottom ofV said leaves, said arm being tensioned in its length to resist movement of the lower end towards the bottom of the leaves, compressive movement of the upper ends of the leaves towards each other causing increased pressure of the lower end of the arm against a resistant object by rocking action, and a pad on the lower end of the arm for engaging a rupture.

3. A rupture truss comprising a belt, a truss suspended therefrom, said truss comprising leaves V-shaped in side elevation with the upper ends normally sprung apart, an arm connected at its upper end to the upper end of the inner leaf and with its lower end below the bottom of said leaves, said arm being tensioned in its length to resist movement of the lower end towards the bottom of the leaves, compressive movement of the upper ends of the leaves towards each other causing increased pressure of the lower end of the arm against a resistant object, and a pad on the lower end of the arm for engaging a rupture, said arm being pivoted to said inner leaf to enable said arm to swing as the wearers body moves sidewise to prevent disengagement of the pad and rupture.

4. A rupture truss comprising a belt, a truss suspended therefrom, said truss comprising leaves V-shaped in side elevation with the upper ends normally sprung apart, an arm connected at the upper end to the upper end of the inner` leaf and with its lower end below the bottom of said leaves, said arm being tensioned in its length to resist movement of the lower end towards the bottom of the leaves, compressive movement of the upper ends of the leaves t0- wards each other causing increased pressure of the lower end of the arm against a resistant object, and a pad on thelower end of the arm for engaging a rupture, said arm being mounted on said inner leaf to yield sidewise with respect to the leaf as the body of the wearer is bent sidewise.

5. A rupture truss comprising a belt and a truss, said truss including two leaves connected together at their lower ends with said leaves sprung to maintain their upper ends separated and resistant to effort to move them towards each other, said outer leaf having means for hooking engagement with the belt, an arm pivoted to the inner leaf near its upper end, said arm having its pivotal portion making surface contact with said inner leaf, said arm extending down from its pivotal connection and bent in its length to maintain its lower end away from the lower ends of the leaves, and a pad carried by the lower end of said arm, compressive movement of the upper ends of said leaves tending to move or rock the lower end of said arm farther away from said leaves when said belt is tightened.

6. A rupture truss comprising a belt, and a truss member, said truss member comprising two spring leaves connected together at their lower ends with the leaves bent away from each other to separate the upper ends thereof, means for hooking the outer of said leaves to said belt, the tightening of said belt drawing together the upper ends of said leaves against the inherent resistance of the same to separate, and an arm pivoted at its upper end to the upper end of the inner leaf and having a .set in it to space its lower end away from the leaves, the drawing together of the upper ends of said leaves tending to move the vlower end of said arm farther away from said leaves thereby -increasing pressure of the lower end of said arm against the rupture.

7. A rupture truss comprising a belt, a truss suspended therefrom and comprising spring members secured together at their lowerends and shaped to have the upper ends normally sprung apart, a pin secured to the upper end of one of said spring members and slidably projectingv through the upper end of the other of said REFERENCES CITED The following references are 0f record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 449,806 Rector Apr. 7, 1891 1,321,843 Parkhill NOV. 18, 1919 1,360,476 Verniaud Nov. 30, 19205 

